Twenty-one reasons to vote against John Howard.(John Winston Howard)

SOME OF YOU may think this title suggests there are only twenty-one reasons to vote against John Howard, and that this lets him off the hook. However, these are only a sample of the richness provided by our political commentators.

1. Lack of leadership. John Howard is not a "conscience" politician. He always has his eye on the opinion polls and will pursue any policy likely to win votes.

2. Self-importance. John Howard never listens to the people but is determined to get his own way, even when a majority of the people oppose his policies.

3. Materialism and greed. Instead of promoting idealism among the people, John Howard caters to their baser instincts and encourages them to make more and more money.

4. Ignoring the people's basic economic needs. John Howard fails to understand the money problems of the workers and tries to please the bosses by keeping wages down, reducing conditions of work and extending working hours.

5. Risking environmental disaster. John Howard refused to sign the Kyoto agreement to combat global warming, because it would reduce the profits of mining companies and cut the number of miners. Since mining is such a dirty and dangerous job, this would be an advantage. With improvements in the environment, many miners could enter the tourist industry. Rising temperatures will bring about either massive floods or fatal droughts.

6. High taxation. John Howard and his government have kept tax rates far too high.